Valentine’s day: Je t’aime wine
8-2-2016
Now available in Dutch stores, the La Tulipe ‘Je t’aime’ Merlot wine. Ilja Gort, a famous Dutch winemaker in the Bordeaux, developed a new etiquette for his Merlot wine, especially for Valentine’s day. On the etiquette a big heart with the words ‘Je t’aime’ on it. At the backside of the bottle it is possible to write the name of your loved one.
Ilja’s idea
The idea for this wine was to produce a limited edition of a soft red wine, especially for Valentine’s day. Own research by Ilja showed that woman within his own circle of girlfriends who love red wine, are not that fond of wines with rough tannins. Heavy, oaked wines didn’t suit the ladies taste as well. This is the reason why Ilja picked accessible , juicy red wines made from 100% Merlot grapes. The wine originates from the vineyards situated in the Languedoc, the same location as where the Slurp wines are produced.
The description of the ‘Je t’aime’ wine, by the maker
“The Tulipe winery loves to make wine from Merlot grapes. From the start Ilja Gort, founder and winemaker at Tulipe winery, fell in love with the Merlot grapes because of the juiciness, elegancy and seductive tasty flavour. No difficulties, just enjoyment. That is how wine is meant to be. This Merlot fits the profile. Drink it slightly chilled or warmer. Enjoy a glass of ‘Je t’aime’ but it also great to combine with a dinner. ‘Je t’aime’ handles it all. According to the etiquette the wine can be drunk at its best if you listen to Serge Gainsbourg while you’re having the wine in your mouth.”
A scratch card for the beer lovers
4-2-2016
Inspiration for craft beer bars, pubs and beer lovers: a scratch card filled with the beers for sale at your bar. Time for your regular guests to taste the craft beers you offer!
The idea of a scratch card was created at Brooklyn’s Pop Chart Lab. This company has recently made a checklist of 99 different types of draft beer with the ultimate goal to have drunk all of the beers on the list ;-).
The scratch card is divided into the two main categories of beer: ales and lagers. These categories are being divided into subcategories such as bock beer, wheat beer and lagers. A real challenge for the die-hard beer lovers to scratch the card as fast as possible.
A scratch card in your bar
We spotted this scratch card at Dutch Cowgirls and although the guys at Brooklyn’s Pop Chart Lab are mainly focused on the guests with this card, we think it could also be used within the hospitality industry. As owner of a bar or pub you could check if you’re able to develop a scratch card consisting of the beers you have on sale. Combine a good price with, for example, a free specialty beer and you create a solid piece of customer loyalty. In fact, try to contact one of your suppliers to arrange this.
Another possibility is to take a look at Brooklyn’s Pop Chart website. Here you will find an extensive range of wall decorations, wood carvings and products. How about a large wooden sign engraved about the interesting world of whisky? Or an information poster for your staff about wine?
Pop Chart Lab
Patrick Mulligan and Ben Gibson work together since 2010 with one single goal in mind: to render all of human experience in chart form. On their website you will find different wall decorations, wood carvings and products that are designed in a visually powerful way.
Colourful Pantone cocktails
27-1-2016
Tealeaves and Pantone are developing a new concept together: #PaletteForYourPalate. Ten different kinds of tea cocktails in Pantone colours!
Colourful Pantone cocktails
Tealeaves collaborates with Pantone to develop the new project #PaletteForYourPalate. With ten different flavours of tea cocktails as the result. They have names such as ‘The Bold and the Blue’, ‘The Pink Monsoon’, and ‘Dreams of Sunset’. Merging expertise which results in a unique product, tea and Pantone colours. Their goal is to show how big the impact of colour on products can be. These tea cocktails aren’t just tasteful and aromatic but also a ‘feast for the eyes’.
Tealeaves x Pantone approached over 30 different mixologists and world-class chefs from across North America to come up with cocktails that followed the aforementioned themes. For over 20 years Tealeaves has been recognized as the leading luxury tea blender of choice for luxurious hotels and restaurants worldwide. Tealeaves understands that ‘the first taste is with the eyes’.
Tealeaves x Pantone reached out to Nike and nail polish manufacturer OPI, to get inspired by their way of using colour. Both manufacturers understand what colour can do with a product.
The project Tealeaves x Pantone: #PaletteForYourPalate has an online exhibition where you can check out the cocktails.
Pantone hotel & café
In previous articles we wrote about experiments of Pantone. For example the Pantone Café in Monaco and Pantone Hotel in Brussels.
Cold Brew Parlor in lobby Wyndham Grand
21-1-2016
The Wyndham Grand brings a new buzz to the traditional coffeehouse experience with the launch of Brew Parlor. A fresh take during afternoon happy hour where people can meet, recharge, or simply take a breather over cold-brewed coffee-based drinks and cocktails.
As from the beginning of 14 January, coffee lovers will be able to experience cold-brewed pick-me-ups and hand-crafted caffeinated cocktails from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. every Monday through Friday at Wyndham Grand’s Brew Parlor pilot hotels in Chicago (U.S.), Doha (Qatar), Shenzhen (China) and Istanbul (Turkey). According to a study by Euromonitor International bottles filled with cold brew coffee are growing in sales worldwide, faster than any other bottled non-alcoholic beverage.
Cold Brew Parlor
Although it takes a while to brew cold coffee, the installation is a beautiful artisanal installation in your lobby! In the Netherlands we do have the company Batavia Dutch Coffee of Jits Krol and Robert Nijhof. They are penetrating the hospitality industry with the cold brewing method from the Dutch East India Company era. They bottle their cold brew…
Wouldn’t it be a great idea to have an installation at the hotel lobbies of the big hotel chains in Amsterdam and Rotterdam? As part of their coffee corners, like the hotels of the Wyndham Grand chain are doing.
But even museums, like our ‘Scheepvaartmuseum’ with topics regarding the Dutch East India Company should serve cold brewed coffee. ^Marjolein van Spronsen
Who joins the international Bar Fight by De Kuyper distillery?
19-1-2016
World’s largest cocktail liqueurs producer, De Kuyper distillery, invites the best bar teams to the Netherlands for an international Bar Fight …
Bar Fight 2016 by De Kuyper Distillery
Registration for the international “Bar Fight 2016” has opened. By submitting a creative short film, domestic and foreign teams can register for the competition. Team spirit and entertainment are the main focus. Registration closes on 29 February 2016. The finalist are announced on 28 March 2016. On 24 May 2016 De Kuyper invites the six best entries for the grand finale at Schiedam. The winners will go home with the prestigious title of ‘Best Bar Team’ and a cash prize of € 10 000,=.
The basis for cocktails worldwide
In the distillery in Schiedam, De Kuyper produces a wide variety of cocktail liqueurs which are sold and used as basics for cocktails in more than 100 countries. De Kuyper’s Bar Fight is a cocktail competition where national and international bartenders get the chance to show their teamwork and techniques. They should be creative and original because only skills aren’t enough in this Bar Fight. Especially making fun while preparing cocktails in a bar should be seen. A professional jury will select the top 20 entries then the audience can vote. The six teams that get the most votes for the short film and the best cocktail recipe are eventually invited to the grand final on 24 May in Schiedam.
De Kuyper Royal Distillers BV is one of the oldest family businesses in the Netherlands (since 1695). The brand products are sold worldwide in over 100 different countries.
A WineStation in your hotel lobby
18-1-2016
Bram Kosterink has immersed himself in the capabilities of the WineStation. Which is already used in some hotel lobbies where you can take a glass of wine via your room key (card) and the bill will be debited to your account ….
Bram Kosterink about the WineStation
This is one of those blogs that has been inspired by another blog. In response to my blog “Inspired by Tuscany’ I was approached for a drink at the systems of WineStation. The same system that I encountered in Tuscany, but now I was informed about the details for the owners of the system in the hospitality industry. I thought it would be interesting to share this information…..
For those who have not read my blog about Tuscany. With the system that I encountered at that time it’s possible to pour your own glass of wine as guests. By means of a pass which you have to upload with an amount, you can choose three different glasses; a tasting glass, half glass or a full glass. After the glass is filled, the amount is directly taken from the pass. Besides this option, the system keeps the wine in the same condition for at least 60 days.
Hilton and Marriott do use the WineStation in the lobby
Hilton and Marriott are already using this system in their luxurious suites and in the lobby of some of their hotels. The hotel room key, (card), can be used to access the WineStation. When the guest takes a glass of wine from the system, the amount is debited to the guests hotel bill.
Besides that the system can be used as described above, the company Napa Technology created the possibility to monitor the ‘wine’ behaviour of guests in a number of wineries. The passes for the WineStation are personalized to be able to send invoice every period. The wine drinking preferences of all guests are known, what they like to drink and how much they drink…. Allowing the wineries to meet every guest’s needs. The technology allows to actively target the sales. Cool if you can prepare a wine profile for all your regular guests. Moreover you can serve and inform your guest at their interest. I wonder how my wine profile would be, probably quite diverse. ^ Bram Kosterink
TapFruit: a healthy and sustainable thirst-quencher
7-1-2016
TapFruit is pure fruit to use in your tap water, without added sugars or any other nonsense. The founders made TapFruit to make tap water thirst-quencher number one again at the office, on the go or at home.
Fabian Roobeek and Ernst Visscher, the founders of TapFruit experienced a lack of alternative, healthy thirst-quenchers at the office. Tap water and syrups are often too sweet. TapFruit is fresh, fruity and unsweetened. The product is made from pure fruit puree and is not concentrated, has no artificial additives or sugar. It is easily preservable in handy stick packs. One stick contains 5 raspberries and one piece of pear. TapFruits fits a healthy diet, since one stick only contains 14 calories and 2,8 grams of fruit sugars. Fabian and Ernst think to offer an alternative; tap water with a natural twist and a delicious, fresh fruity taste.
Crowdfunding
With just 12 days to go the target amount to start selling TapFruit has been reached, of course the target amount has been adjusted so you can still join on One Planet Crowd. Besides tap water being healthy it also is a lot more sustainable and we’re lucky to have high quality tap water here in Northwest-Europe!
Founders of TapFruit
Fabian Roobeek and Ernst Visscher are the founders of Limo de Janeiro B.V., the company behind TapFruit. As previously mentioned they searched for an alternative, healthy thirst-quencher at the office, with TapFruit as the result after a lot of experimenting and collaborating with top experts. The founders of TapFruit not only try to convince people to live a healthier but also more sustainable lifestyle. The fruit is directly purchased from farmer Marinus Bunt from B&B Fruit in the Betuwe. Like this they can get the best fruit with a small sustainable footprint.
Honey Spoon
29-12-2015
The Honey Spoon is a small cup within a spoon, filled with 100% flower honey. An unique way to serve honey without any mess. Convenient, hygienic and unique.
Honey Spoon
Within the out-of-home shops and thus also in the hospitality, alternatives for sugar are increasing in popularity. Honey in the tea is getting more popular. In order to keep it simple and clean and don’t mess with a cup of honey they created a new invention, the Honey Spoon. A small plastic spoon, filled with flower honey. The only thing you have to do is, just like with a normal cup of honey, remove the plastic top. Then you just put your spoon in the tea, stir well and you have got a nice cup of tea with honey, without the mess.
Availability
The Honey Spoon is available in a luxurious dispenser with 125 spoons or in a silo with 20 spoons. It is possible to order a sample via this link. The Honey Spoon is available in The Netherlands at several wholesalers like, Sligro, Deli XL and VHC.
Valentine’s Day at ‘De Nieuwe Poort’
28-12-2015
On the 13th of February ‘De Nieuwe Poort’ in Amsterdam will host a Valentine’s Day meeting for young and old people. The moto for this event is; before you know it, you have got a date!
Valentine’s Day 2016
According to the organizers, young hard working adults do need some quality time to break the workflow. The young adults often don’t know how to do this. Experiences and memories from elderly people can help to have a relaxed afternoon. Elderly people on the other hand are sometimes fighting loneliness; regularly these men and women live without any family or friends. As the organizers already mentioned, elderly people do have a lot to talk about, especially the ones from Amsterdam take no mince matters. These different types of ‘problems’ can be combined perfectly in order to satisfy both parties. This is exactly what the organizers of the Valentine’s celebration do. Previous years both ‘seniors’ and ‘young professionals’ celebrated Valentine’s day, and experienced it as inspiring and fun to do!
Costs
The ‘seniors’ have free entrance, the organisation assumes ‘young professionals’ will pay for them.
About ‘De Nieuwe Poort’
De Nieuwe Poort is a house to meet and be inspired. They want to counterbalance the forces of the economy and politics, because they often prevail in society. De Nieuwe Poort helps the mild forces, in order to make us more human and richer. Whoever eats the dishes of Chef Marcel Johannes, or is just there to drink, they will always be surrounded by poetry and music. In short, De Nieuwe Poort wants to fulfil the role of a community centre and gather different types of people for different types of activities.
Wrong Christmas Sweater party
23-12-2015
On the Korte Heuvel in the Dutch town Tilburg, they celebrated the last Friday Afternoon Party before Christmas with a ‘Wrong Christmas Sweater’ theme.
Wrong Christmas Sweater party
Last year, the largest Friday afternoon party from Tilburg has been a huge success as well and they had the same theme; Foute Kersttrui (Wrong Christmas Sweater). Hundreds of people gathered at the party area of the Korte Heuvel to kick of the holiday season with colleagues and friends. Santa and his Christmas wives were present and there were torches everywhere. One could eat our famous Dutch pea soup (snert) and there was plenty of glühwein (mulled wine) and beer. This year the ‘Wrong Christmas Sweater’ party was held on Friday 18th December as from 17:00 everyone was welcome. With a wrong Christmas sweater you received free mulled wine at Polly Maggoo. Initiators are the owners of Polly Maggoo and it is now adopted by a number of cafes in the area.
Inspiration
Come up with a nice theme and prolong the festivities surrounding Christmas. Since 18 December, the Christmas Season started and there is no one available for work-related Christmas parties so this initiative in Tilburg is a lovely way to throw a party and to generate additional revenue. Win / win for participants and entrepreneurs. Just as the ‘Kerstmiddag’ (Christmas Afternoon) on 24 December in Hengelo.
